Banded Micaceous Quartzite — Spokane River, Stateline — The Moonscape

It was a Saturday afternoon. We went to the Spokane River at Stateline to hound and cool off — wading around, splashing in the water. We spent about an hour digging raw material out of the river bank. The Spokane River Collection → The Rufus Protocol →

This piece came out of that bank. I got it home and cut it differently than I normally would — I went down through the layers instead of across them. I wanted to see what the pattern looked like going that direction. When it came off the wheel I just looked at it. The swirl pattern that came out of cutting with the layers was something I hadn't seen before. I'll be cutting more of this material the same way.

Matte finish. Mica glitter throughout. Under light it looks like a moonscape — grey and cream swirls with dark mineral dust frozen in the layers. The mica flakes between the bands are over a billion years old — Belt Supergroup, ancient sea floor cooked into quartzite by heat and pressure. We set it in a plain silver bezel to help the circular pattern flow — one of the backs from the Mystery 13-pack. The Nickel Back Collection →

Not dyed. Not enhanced. One of a kind.

All Stones → All Tales →

The Stone
Type: Banded Micaceous Quartzite
Origin: Spokane River, Stateline, Washington
Age: Over 1 Billion Years — Belt Supergroup
Dimensions: 30 x 40 mm oval
Finish: Matte with Mica Glitter
Mohs: 7
One of a Kind: Yes

Ready to Wear
Set in a silver bezel on a black cord.

— Bob & Janyce, Rockhound Studio, Spokane Valley WA